Publication Details
Radioulnar Contrasts in Fingerprint Ridge Counts: Searching for Dermatoglyphic Markers of Early Sex Development
CHOVANCOVÁ, M.
Králík Miroslav, doc. RNDr., Ph.D. (VUT)
BEŇUŠ, R.
Klíma Ondřej, Ing., Ph.D. (DCGM)
MEINEROVÁ, T.
Čuta Martin, Mgr., Ph.D.
PETROVÁ, M.
dermatoglyphics, radioulnar contrast, prenatal sex development, fingerprints
Objectives
Using prenatally fixed dermatoglyphics features as markers of prenatal sex
development is limited due to insufficient knowledge on their sex differences.
This study aims to examine more thoroughly sex
differences in radioulnar contrasts.
Methods
Fingerprints of 360 females and 331 males from 4 samples of different ethnic
backgrounds (Czechs, Slovaks, Vietnamese and Lusatian Sorbs) were studied. On
both hands, finger ridge-counts were recorded, and
all possible radioulnar contrasts were computed as a difference between
ridge-count at a radial position minus ridge-count at a respective ulnar position
on the hand. Radioulnar contrasts with population-congruent and numerically large
dimorphism were selected and the dimorphism of the selected radioulnar contrasts
was then tested using nonparametric analysis of variance.
Results
Greater dimorphism of radioulnar contrasts occurred on the right hand than on the
left hand. Population congruent direction and relatively strong dimorphism
(Cohen's d greater than 0.3) was found in six radioulnar contrasts on the right
hand, all of which involved the radial ridge-count of the 2nd finger. Of these,
the highest average dimorphism was observed for the difference between the radial
ridge-count of the 2nd finger and the ulnar ridge-count of the 4th finger (2r4u
contrast), where the average effect size from all 4 population samples was
comparable to a published average effect size of the 2D4D finger length ratio.
Conclusion
We propose that 2r4u contrast of ridge-counts could serve as a marker of prenatal
sexual development targeting a temporally narrow developmental window.
@article{BUT175851,
author="POLCEROVÁ, L. and CHOVANCOVÁ, M. and KRÁLÍK, M. and BEŇUŠ, R. and KLÍMA, O. and MEINEROVÁ, T. and ČUTA, M. and PETROVÁ, M.",
title="Radioulnar Contrasts in Fingerprint Ridge Counts: Searching for Dermatoglyphic Markers of Early Sex Development",
journal="American Journal of Human Biology",
year="2022",
volume="34",
number="5",
pages="1--15",
doi="10.1002/ajhb.23695",
issn="1520-6300",
url="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ajhb.23695"
}